Alexander dunbar



(No Model") A.DUNBAR. APPARATUS FOR GATHERING OR SETTING UP STAVES FOR GASKS.

No. 578,601. Patented Mar. 9,1897.

A JNVE'NTUR A Pno'ruuma. WASHINGTON. mV 1;

Urvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER DUNBAR, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR GATHERING OR SETTING UP STAVES FOR CASKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,601, dated March 9, 1897.

Application filed May 5,1896. 8erial1To. 590,320. (No model.) Patented in England March 8, 1893, No. 4,999; in Spain Pebruary 5, 1894, No. 15,487; in France February 8,1894,No.236 129; in Belgium February 10, 1894, No. 108,661; in Italy February 19, 1894, No. 35,785; in Germany March 2, 1894,1To. 79,057; in Austria July 13, 1894,11'0. 3,198;

in Hungary November 7, 1895, No. 4,517, and in Portugal January 20,1896,1To.2,067.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

- siding at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, hax e invented a new and use ful Improvement in Apparatus for Gathering or Setting up Staves for Casks, (for which I have obtained patents in Great Britain, No. 4,999, bearing date March 8, 1893; in France, No. 236,129, bearing date February 8, 1894; in Belgium, No. 108,661, bearing date February 10, 1894; in Austria, No. 3,198, hearing date July 13, 1894; in Hungary, No. 4,517, hearing date November 7, 1895; in Spain, No. 15,487, bearing date February 5, 1894; in Portugal, No. 2,067, bearing date January 20, 1896; in Italy, No. 35,785, bearing date February 19, 1894, and in Germany, No. 79,057, bearing dateMarch 2, 1894,) of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a plan, part being broken away, and Fig. 2 is a view, one half being in vertical elevation and the other half in vertical section, of apparatus for setting up or gathering staves constructed in accordance with my invention.

The object is to provide simple apparatus for enabling staves to be rapidly and easily gathered or set up into the usual form of a frustum of a cone and at the same time to somewhat tighten or close in the spread-out ends of the staves.

0b is atable free to rotate about a spindle b, which is free to rotate in a footstep c on the foundation-plate d; e, frame or flooring carried by standards, beams, or brackets and provided with antifriction-rollers f, on which the table a rests. Bolted or otherwise firmly secured centrally to the top of the said table a is a hollow stem g, over-which fits a sleeve h, terminating in a circular head i, such circular head being formed with or secured to the sleeve h in any convenient way. The stem 9 is made with a nut j, into which takes the lower screwed end of the spindle Z5. The upper end of the said spindle it passes freely through the head tand is formed with a collar Z, which abuts against the under side of the said head.

k and is secured thereto bya cotter or in other convenient manner.

0 are set bolts and nuts by'means of which a head 1), of any suitable diameter, may be secured at any necessary distance above the head 'i. The head i is used for setting up or gathering staves for small casks, and the head 19, according to its diameter and distance from the, head 'i, is used for setting up or gathering staves for larger casks. By raising and lowering the head i by means of the. hand-wheel m and connections the head 7 or any extra head 19 may be made to serve for staves of greater or less length within a certain limit. In this way one apparatus with two or three heads will serve for gathering or setting up staves for any size of casks between the two extreme limits.

q are gathering-pieces free to be moved to and fro in radial slots rin the table a.

In order to obtain sufficient bearing-surface for the gathering-pieces on the table and at the same time to allow the said gatheringpieces to nearly approach the center, the edges of the said gathering-pieces are crenelated so as to interlock when near the center. The gathering-pieces q are fitted with adjustable dogs 8, held in position by bolts and nuts or locking devices 1.

u is a disk secured to the spindle 19; U, links pivoted to the gathering-pieces q at w and to the disk u at 00; a, ratchet-teeth on the table a; a detent taking into the teeth a. and

pivoted to the frame or floor eat 6; y, wormwheel secured to the spindle b; 2, drivingworm and reversing-gear of any suitable construction for giving motion in either direction to the worm-wheel y, spindle b, and disk at.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: The disk to is set in motion in the direction of the arrow and by means of the links '0 carries the table (1 around with it. As the said table rotates, staves are placed with their lower ends inside the dogs 5 and resting on the gathering-pieces q, the upper ends of the staves resting against a head 1' or 19, (here shown 19,) according to the diameter of the cask and length of the staves. When the requisite number of staves have been placed all around, a hoop of greater diameter than the bilge of the cask to be produced is dropped over the staves, while a hoop of smaller diameter is used to bind the staves together. The motion of the disk is then reversed; but as it can no longer carry the table with it on account of the detent a the links 1) cause the gathering-pieces q to travel along the slots 1', and the dogs 5 thus push or gather the outspread ends of the staves closer together until the said links c are in a straight line with the slots r, while at the same time the large hoop slips down and holds the stave ends in position. As the disk it continues to rotate, the outer ends of the links 0 ass across the longitudinal axes of the slots 1', and the gathering-pteces and dogs are withdrawn. The stave form is now removed, and the detent a is disengaged from table a, so as to allow the said table to rotate with the disk a, during which rotation staves are again placed in position. The motion of the disk u is reversed, and the outer ends of the links '0 are again carried across the longitudinal axes of the slots 0", thus gathering in the ends of the staves and returning to their original position. Again the form is removed and the operations repeated.

Motion might be given to the table and the disk might be loose, in which case the detent would act on the disk.

I claim- 1. In apparatus for setting up and gathering staves, the combination of a table and disk, one of which is rotatable relatively to the other and is provided with a detent arranged to prevent movement in one direction, radially-movable gathering-pieces upon the table, a head secured to the table and arranged to hold the upper ends of the staves in place, and link connections between the disk and the gathering-pieces, arranged to ing staves, atable having radially-movable gathering-pieces, said pieces having at their adjacent edges interfitting projections arranged to interlock with each other when near the center of the table; substantially as described. I

4. In apparatus for setting up and gathering staves, the combination of a table and a disk, one of which is rotatable relatively to the other and is provided with a detent arranged to prevent movement in one direction, I

radially-movable gathering-pieces upon the table, a support upon the table carrying an adjustable head above the same, and link connections between the disk and the gathering-pieces, arranged to move said pieces inwardly and gather the staves; substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for setting up and gathering staves comprising the spindle b, slotted table a, disk u, crenelated gathering-pieces q free to slide in the slots r, dogs 8 attached to the gathering-pieces q, links o connecting the gathering-pieces q to the disk u, the head t with its support and the detent a substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of April, 1896.

ALEXANDER DUNBAR. lVitnesses:

JAMns J oHNsoN, W. B. J OHNSON. 

